If you're a fan of rich, tender bread with a slightly tangy flavor, you'll love this buttery soft Honey Ricotta Cheese Yeast Bread. Unlike traditional white bread, the ricotta cheese contributes a soft, buttery texture and moistness, while the honey adds a subtle sweet flavor and keeps this bread nice and soft for days. Just remember to warm the ricotta cheese before adding to the dry ingredients - it'll help the dough rise and give it a more fluffy texture.
Here's why I love this recipe
- Soft and moist, thanks to the ricotta cheese
- it has a subtle hint of honey flavor that pairs perfectly with both sweet and savory pairings
- it's versatile and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner
- it's easy to make, requiring just a few simple ingredients and a stand mixer or bread machine.
- No oil or butter needed!
Ingredients Used to Make This Ricotta Cheese Yeast Bread Recipe
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com. They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Bread Flour - I used bread flour for this recipe (I use King Arthur Bread Flour most), which I prefer and highly recommend for the best texture and structure. Please read the note on the substitution section below if using other flours.
- Instant Yeast - you can find instant yeast in the baking section near the flours. My favorite is SAF Instant Premium Yeast, which works quickly and consistently produces great results. I recommend using instant yeast over active yeast for this recipe since active yeast (unlike instant yeast) needs to be activated in water, which we don't add until the very end.
- Salt - Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe.
- Honey - is the main sweetener used in this recipe. You can also use maple syrup instead.
- Ricotta Cheese - the plain (unflavored) kind. I used full fat for the best texture, but you can also use reduced fat ricotta cheese for this recipe.
What does ricotta cheese do to yeast bread?
The addition of ricotta cheese to the dough makes the bread incredibly moist, soft and fluffy. Ricotta cheese is high in fat, which helps to create a tender crumb and gives the buns a rich and creamy texture. Additionally, the cheese adds a subtle tangy flavor to the dough, which makes any yeast breads taste better!
Equipment
- I used a KitchenAid Stand Mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough. You're also welcome to use a bread machine, or knead the dough by hand.
Bread Pan
- I used a 9 x 4 x 4 pullman loaf pan for this recipe, which helps to create tall breads with straight sides/ edges that's perfect for baking sandwich breads. If you don't have a pullman loaf pan, you can also use a 9 x 5 loaf pan instead.
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Buttery & Soft Honey Ricotta Cheese Yeast Bread
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups bread flour , pre-sifted (540g)*
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp honey , or maple syrup **
- 15 oz full fat ricotta cheese , warm or room temperature ***
- 1 ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons water , warm or room temperature (385g)
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients (bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt) in the bowl of the stand mixer.
- Add the ricotta cheese, honey and 1 ½ cup of water to the dry ingredients
- Start to knead the dough at a low setting (speed 2) for about a minute, until all the ingredients are combined. Add the additional 2 Tbsp of water (only if needed - the dough should be soft, but not so wet that it loses its shape )
- Continue to knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth, supple ball.
- Remove the finished dough from the mixer bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover and let rise until doubled, about 90-120 minutes***
- Punch down the dough, then remove from bowl. Place on a generously floured surface and divide into 4 equal sized pieces.
- Use a small rolling pin to flatten each piece into a 6 x 9 inch rectangles, and fold into thirds. Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a tight cylinder (like a sushi roll or cinnamon roll). Pinch the ends to seal. Repeat with the other 3 pieces and place in a well-oiled bread pan. Here's a step by step guide to how I shape bread dough, here!
- Let the dough rise again for 60 minutes until puffy. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350F / 180C
- Optional: To add some color and shine to the bread as it bakes, gently brush the tops of the bread with 1 Tbsp of non-dairy milk mixed with 1 Tbsp of maple syrup. (Regular milk or egg wash also works).
- Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then cover / tent the bread with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning, and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the interior of the bread reaches 190°F.
- Take the bread out of the oven, turn it out on a rack, and cool it slightly before slicing. Enjoy!
- Note: You can store this bread loaf, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container and freeze up to 3 months, then defrost them at room temperature or microwave before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
Note on Substitutions
- Unfortunately, I haven't tried using gluten-free flours in this recipe. So substitute at your own risk!
- While bread flour is highly recommended, all-purpose flour can be used instead with 1 tsp of vital wheat gluten for every cup of flour.
- Liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey or molasses can replace all of the sugar in this recipe, but it makes the dough softer and more difficult to handle since it contributes additional moisture. Increase bread flour by 1-2 Tablespoons to adjust.
Does Bread Flour Make a Difference?
Yes! Bread Recipes made with bread flour results in taller, firmer rolls that have a more substantial bite. The gluten in the bread flour also forms longer strands during the kneading process, which you'll often see clinging like melted cheese when you pull the rolls apart. Fun fact: In South Korea, this stringy bread texture is compared to how cooked chicken breast tears apart! Bread recipes made with all-purpose flour, on the other hand, produce softer, more tender rolls that are light and airy in texture.
What are some ways you can eat and serve this Bread?
- Plain and warm, right out of the oven
- Toasted the next day, served with jam, marmalade, honey or butter
- Sliced and use for any sandwich.
- And if you do get any leftovers or stale bread left, use it for french toasts or grilled cheese.
How to Store Ricotta Cheese Yeast Bread
- You can store this bread loaf, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container and freeze up to 3 months, then defrost them at room temperature or microwave before eating.
Final Tips
- Weigh your flour for the best results. 1 cup of bread flour = 120 grams / 4.23 oz. This is recommended since scooping the flour directly from the bag can can pack the flour into the measuring cup, and this means you'll end up with more flour than what's called for in the recipe. If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can measure the flour by spooning pre-sifted flour into the measuring cup, then using the straight end of the spoon to level the flour across the top to sweep off the excess.
- Baking time (as well as serving size) will vary based on the size of your baking pan, the material (silicone vs metal) of the pan. If you're not sure whether the bread is ready, you can insert a quick read thermometer into the bread - a finished loaf will register 190 F (or 88 C).
- To make this recipe in the bread machine: add all the dry ingredients into the machine, stir briefly before adding the wet ingredients. The machine can be set for basic. Check the dough for consistency and adjust by adding additional water (or flour) before the end of the first kneading cycle. If you want to add additional nuts or dried fruits, leave them aside, and only them 3 minutes before the end of the second kneading cycle.
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